Folding bed



Aug. 16, 1932. DRAPER 1,871,593

FOLDING BED Filed Jan. 29, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR. '13. 19W.

jmiz, M

TTORNEYS.

Aug. 16, 1932. T. B. DRAPER 1,871,593

FOLDING BED Filed Jan. 29, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3.

I N VEN TOR. 3 5 Z3.

' a 5 BY 4/ 0 M 2 a 1 W rl W I ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 16, 1932.

T1 B. DRAPER FOLDING BED Filed Jan. 29. 1930 S'Sheeos-Sheet 3llllll-dllllllglllllllll lllfi a *2 MW W.

BY M i .ulll

yfl TTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES THOMAS IB. DRAPER, OF OAKLAND,CALIFORNIA ronnme .BED

Application filed January 29, 1930. Serial No. 424,207.

It is the principal object of the present invention to generally improvethe construction and operation of beds of the character referred 'to. iv I In practicing the invention, I provide a spring which can be foldedto enclose a full size mattress and bedding but ,which when unfoldedpresents an unbroken spring area. Head boards are connected with thespring in such a manner that when the spring is unfolded the projectedpart is fitted with head boards. The construction and mounting of thespring is such that when folded, the seat of the chesterfield will be ofnormal height and when unfolded the spring will be disposed at ordinarybed height from the floor.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the followingdescription and illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which: I Fig. 1 1s a partial plan v1ew of the device withthe spring in folded position.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view with the spring unfolded.

Flg. 3 1s a partlal V16W'1n front elevatlon The Outer portion of the p gis supported with the front covering removed.

Fig. 4 is a partial front elevation with the spring in unfoldedposition. i

Fig. 5 is an end view of the device with the spring in unfoldedposition.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the device with one of theend members removed.

Figs. 7 and 8 are end views of the device with one of the end membersremoved and showing the spring structure being unfolded.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the manner in whichthe end memhers are connected with the end frames.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates aframe fitted tion as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6' theend is unfolded.

members, back rest and seat 14 unite to form an upholsteredchesterfield'. y

The frame 10 includes end frames l5.having legs 16 which support thestructure from the floor. These legs are connected together Ail NTorrica "1 in each end frame by transverse members-17 and are braced bybraces 18. Arrangedbetween-the end frames is a spring frame 19 whichiscollapsible as will be described. At each end of the spring frame is"an' end rail which isdivided into three parts 21, 22 and 23. The threeparts of each end rail'of the 7 spring frame are in alignment. I

When the bed is unfolded as illustrated in Fig. 5, the portions 21 and23 of the end rails of the spring frame are disposed in the same.horizontal plane While the. section 22. is slightly elevated. For thisreason the adj acent ends of the sections 21 and 23 are fitted withright angular portions 24 to which the ends of'the section 22arepivoted, thus forming a pivotal connection between the three parts. Thesection 21 of each end rail is'piv by an open frame 27 which extends. atright angles to the section 21 of the end rails of the spring frame.Thisopen'frame 27 extends vertical when the bed. is in folded positionand forms the back frame for the back rest 12. lVhen the spring isunfolded, however, the frame 27 depends downwardly to engage the floorand cooperates with the end frames in supporting the spring.

The back rest 12 ispivoted as at 28 to brackets 29. extending at rightangles to the end rails of the spring frame and contiguous tothe backframe'27. Springs 30 are connected'at one end to the open frame 27 as at31 and at their other ends to the back rest 12 at apoint eccentric tothe pivotal point 28. These springs act to turn. the backrest 12 to theposition shown in Fig. 5 when the bed 1 I desire to point out that thebed spring is It will be noticed from the drawings that" the rows of thecoil springs which form. av part of this yielding structure are soarranged that the pivotal pointsof connection between the sections ofthe spring will permit the spring-.tofold along. lines indicatedibyAand- B in Fig. 2 and thus in. effect thespring is in three relativelyfolding sections, as follows: outer section C, intermediate section. Dand. inner section: E. The width ofithe intermediate section D soseparates the sections G and; E that a full size mattress and beddingmay be folded within the spring asv illustrated: in Fig- 8. r

. Tdmaintain the bedding n1 proper posi.-' tion: whenthe-spring isfolded, I provideian' apron. 35 which extends longitudinally of thespring alon the outer edge thereof. This apron is preferably of fabricand; is connected at its other end to a bail 36 This bail is of the samelengtlras'the spring andv the ends of its legs are pivoted to thespringframe asat 37.: This bail: is disposed sothat when the bed is in. openpositionit may lie in an unobstructing position as illustrated in Fig.5.

V] hen the spring is folded, however, this bail.

may be moved tothe position shown in Fig. 8 andlatchediasat 39 to theedge ofthe inner section. E so as to connect the sections and maintainthem in folded position with. the bedding thereinj When moving. the bail36 to the position shown in Fig. '8 the apron 35 will form a coveringfor the openend'of the folded bed spring structure and maintain thecovers in; properxposition. as illustrated.

Another feature of the presentinvention.

is the provision of headboards 40 which. are provided to cooperate withvthe end. members 11 when the bed is extended. These head boards areconnected to the spring frame and. are slightly resilient in; character.The provision of these head boards makes the bed more comfortable asthey provide means for maintaining the pillows and bedding in. positionon: the bed, and also they act to aid in properly holding the beddingand mattress in. position when the structure is folded.

order to make it ea'syto open and close thebedv I providecounterbalancing springs 41 whicheare connected to links 42. in. turnconnected'tothe front lugs 24. at the point of pivotal connectionbetween these lugs andv the sections 22. of the end railsof the springframe. These springs 41 are so disposed that. they counterbalance theweight of the folding structure when it is being opened and when it isbeing closed. This can be fully comprehended from Fig. 7 where it isseen that as the structure opens, the spring will be under tension.Likewise, as soon as the lugs 24 pass over center, the spring will againbe placed under tension soas toyieldingly resist the closing of thestructure. Thus,.the springs 41 counterbalance the folding structureboth when it is being opened and when it is being closed, thus renderingthe device easy to handle.

In operation of the device it is constructed and assembled asillustrated in the drawings. The end members 11 may be separatelyupholstered and connected? to the end: frames 1-5bylatch mechanisms:115a'shown. in Fig. 9.

It will be noticed; that the seat cushion 14-. is

continued until thefolding structure reaches theposition shown' in. Fig.8 at which time the back frame 27, will bear on the floor and the backrest 12 will assume the position showninFig. 8. The bail. 36 is thendisconnected and moved toan unobstructingposition or that shown in Fig.5. The sections D and E are then swung about the pivot points 24a todispose the section D in a, horizontal position which swinging; movementis con.-.

tinuedby swinging the section E. about the pivot-points 24b to disposethis section in a horizontal position. The: mattress may then be spreadover. the spring andthebedmade up for use.

When it is desired to fold the bed, the sections D andE of the springare fold'edv rela-- tive to the section C. The bail 36 is then moved tothe position shown in Fig. 8 and connected with the section E-moving theapron to position to hold the beddingv in place. lVhen the bail is movedto the position shown in Fig. 8 it engages a cam surfaceon each headboard 40 and'moves the headboards inwardlyto, a position where they willclear the end frame 15. I then swung to the position shown in Fig. 6.Asbefore stated, the springstl socounterbalance the structure that aminimum of effort is requiredtomove it from one position to another.- I1 hen the folding structureis swung to the position shown in Fig. 6,thesections 21 of the endrails of the spring frame-will engage'the Theentire structure is lugs'26 onthe end frame 15. These lugs 26.

also engage the sections23 when the bed. is

unfolded to support the same. By reference torFig..7 it will benoticedthat these lugs:26,a

do not prevent the closing of the structure as it will clear the same bypermitting the inner lugs 26 to pass between the sections 22 and 23 whenthe folded structure is being moved to closed position. I

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to beunderstood that various changes may be made in its construction by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A deviceof the character described ineluding a frame, a folding.spring pivotally connected to the frame, said spring including an outersection, an inner section and an intermediate section relativelyfoldable where- I by the inner section may be arranged over the outersection at a distance therefrom equal to the width of the intermediatesection, abail having its legs connected to the outer section, theintermediate portion of the bail being adapted to be detachablyconnected with the outer side of the inner section to maintain thesections in folded relation so that the spring may pivot about itspivotal connection with the frame, and an apron attached along the outeredge of the outer section and to the intermediate section of the bail toenclose'the space between the free edges of the sections when the springis folded and the bail positioned to connect the same. a I 2. A deviceof the character described comprising a sectional fold-able spring, abail on one of the spring sections engageable with another of thesections to secure the sections in a folded position, and an apronattached 40 to the bail and one section to form a recep tacle forbedding when the spring is folded.

3. A device of the character described comprising a folding frame, aspring carried by the frame and including outer, inner and 5intermediate sections articulately connected and adapted to be folded toa position in which the inner and outer sections are opposite eachother, means releasably securing the sections in a folded position andan apron member carried by said means and extending between edges of theinner and outer sections when folded. a THOMAS B. DRAPER.

